July 12, 2022 As soon as I step out of the car, the smell of the sagebrush washes over me. It’s a heady smell, bitter […]
Building trust with prairie dogs
July 6, 2022 The burrowing owl watched me from the fencepost, then glanced away, eyes half-closed. Its mate was perching on the ground nearby, next […]
Into the night on furry wings
I didn’t even know he was a silk moth when I first met him. It was October, a smoky afternoon pierced by the song of […]
How to attract more bees: plant milkvetch
June 23, 2022 Last week I found a surprising diversity of pollinators feeding on leafy spurge, a flower that everyone hates. But I also noticed […]
This horrible weed feeds pollinators
June 16, 2022 I think I may be the only person in Helena with a fondness for leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). Yes, I’m talking about […]
Back to Devil’s Elbow: life on the margins
June 13, 2022 Just looking at a Brewer’s sparrow, you wouldn’t know there’s anything special about it. It’s a small bird, gray as dust, well-suited […]
Life at plant speed: a close look at one hilltop
June 8, 2022 From a distance, it’s easy to dismiss the grassland. A green wash on the hills: so what? Sitting in the middle of […]
Lunch on the fly: a bird’s-eye view of chokecherries
June 2, 2022 Birds see the world differently than we do. We see in red, green, and blue – but birds see a fourth “primary […]